A Fox Tale
by SuntoryAngel
Summary: Kurama is acting strange and had detached from Naruto! What could be behind the Nine Tail's actions and just what is he up to? Join Kakashi and Naruto as they struggle to make sense of Kurama's warnings of the black fox. What happens when Hinata is thrown into the mix? Rated M for mild cursing and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! I have been watching the Naruto series and have pretty much been blown away. It's made me cry, it's made me laugh, and its captured my heart! So I woke up fairly early this morning not feeling well, took some medicine, and passed out for a few hours. The dream that I had needs to be shared! I woke up, told my hubby and he was even impressed by it! I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as he did! I don't own rights to Naruto!

* * *

 **A Fox Tale**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Kurama POV**

I lifted my head as the moon's hue suddenly changed. Naruto was lost in his dreams of food and becoming Hokage and even if he had been awake, I doubted that he would even notice something so subtle. The clouds that gathered around the moon slowly began to morph into a shape not much unlike my own, except this one was more slender. The glow of the moon began to intensify, as if it was trying to become the sun itself. The fur on the back of my neck stood up as a presence that I distantly recognized appeared somewhere off in the distance towards the west. I personally didn't know it, but it was one that every fox on Earth would recognize. With Naruto asleep, my actions were limited, but I couldn't let that stop me. Concentrating my chakra, I allowed a small fraction of it to slip out of his body and willed it to take form as well as forcing my consciousness into it. " **Sorry, kit,** " I growled, glancing back at where he laid sprawled on his bed before I slipped out the open window. " **You're sitting this one out.** "

* * *

 **Tsunade POV**

"This paperwork is neverending..." I groaned, placing yet another document on the finished pile and sighing as yet another stack was placed before me. Resting my chin in my palm, I thought about how nice it would be to have a drink...heck, I would settle for just one right now! A loud commotion from just outside the door cause one of my eyebrows to shoot upward, closely followed by a know. "Enter." I was expecting reports of an intruder but what came through the door nearly made me fall out of my chair in shock!

Kakashi Hatake entered, carrying what almost appeared to be a overly-sized cat. "Pardon the intrusion, Lady Hokage, but I felt that I should report this to you." He held it by the scruff of its neck. "It was attempting to leave the village."

I sweat dropped. "Why would I need to hear about some stray cat trying to leave the village?"

" **Impudent humans!** " A childlike voice rang in the air. " **You dare call me a stray feline?!** " My jaw nearly dropped as the creature began to squirm, fixing one red eye on me and baring its teeth in a growl. " **Release me at once! I am the Nine-Tails, and I won't stand for this treatment!** " Now that I looked closer, I saw his nine tails and long narrow snout. This little furball...was Kurama?! His ears fell flat against his head as a chuckle slipped from between my lips. " **You dare mock me, you old hag?!** "

I instantly sobered, a tick mark appearing on my forehead. Now was not the time to act carelessly. "My apologies, Nine-Tails, your form took me off guard."

" **Believe you me, I didn't want to use this form,** " he growled, swiping at Kakashi's hand. " **Would you release me already?! I won't pull anything that would put this place nor its people in danger.** "

The door opened to reveal a disheveled Naruto, a clear killer's intent in his blue eyes. "You..." He snatched Kurama from his sensei and forced him to look him in the eye. "Where have you been?! You didn't respond when I woke up and I noticed that your chakra was depleted. You think I wouldn't notice that?!" Kurama turned away from his chinchuriki, a bored expression written across his face as Naruto continued. "What were you thinkgin?! Hey, are you even listening to me?! Look at me when I'm talking to you, damnit!"

" **Would you shut up?!** " Kurama suddenly bellowed, catching Naruto's free hand between his teeth. " **This is none of your business, kit, so butt out!** "

Naruto froze at his words. "None of my business?"

" **This doesn't concern you humans,** " Kurama growled, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as he released Naruto's hand. " **You humans are more nosy than pesky crows...** "

I stood and cleared a place on my desk, gesturing to Naruto to place him on the right hand corner. "Then perhaps you can explain what you were planning to do. From there, as Hokage of the Leaf, I will either grant you permission to continue with your course of action or I will have no choice but to forcibly put your actions to a halt."

Kurama's tails curled around his little body as he glanced outside. " **You think you're so high and mighty, but you are all simply weak mortals... How could you possibly even begin to understand what is about to happen?** "

"Then why don't you enlighten us." Kakashi snapped his book closed, reaching up and fingering his headband.

" **The second you use that on me is the last time you will ever take a breath,** " the fox growled, baring its teeth and its fur standing on end. " **Using that sharingan to make me do your bidding makes you no better than Madara Uchiha!** "

Kakashi held up his hands. "Relax! That's not what I was insinuating at all!" In one swift motion, he lifted his headband and caught a little pouch that fell. "I was merely grabbing this so that I can get you some fried tofu."

Another chuckle threatened to escape me as all nine tails began to wave erratically and his head snapped to the jonin at the mention of the fried food. So it was a fox's favorite food after all. "Would you be willing to tell us over a meal?" I asked, smiling as Kurama simply "hmphed". "Kakashi, since it was your idea, I'll leave the food arrangements to you. Oh, and don't forget to add in some sake," I smiled sweetly as Shizune made to intervene. "I've been working hard all day, I deserve a drink."

" **Do as you please,** " Kurama huffed, laying on his side. " **I make no promises that I will tell you anything.** " He grimaced as a loud growl emitted from his body and Naruto began to tease him. " **Curse this retched form...** "

* * *

 **Hinata POV**

I blinked in surprise as a small white orb came through my window and hovered next to me on the bed. " **You needn't be afraid, young one,** " a soft voice whispered. " **I do not wish to harm you.** " The orb warped and became a small fox the color of fresh snow and has pale lilac eyes; just like mine. Its fur seemed to glow in the moonlight and appeared to be softer than her favorite fleece blanket. The fox climbed into my lap, its eyes studying my own. " **You are quite the cute one, aren't you? I'm so lucky to get such a cute vessel.** " It places its paws on my chest. " **All that's let now is for you to accept me!** "

* * *

What do you guys think so far? Who or what has Kurama sensed? Stay tuned for more! Thanks for reading and please leave a comment bellow!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, everyone! Here comes another chapter! Before we begin, I want to thank **hyperdimension writer's guild** for adding this story to their community! I'm truly honored that you picked my story! Another big thank you to the these readers who took the time to give this story a chance:

 _Saint of vice koncor_

I don't own rights to Naruto! Please enjoy!

* * *

 **A Fox Tale**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Naruto POV**

"Come on," I teased, poking Kurama in the side. "I just want to rub your ears a little." He slapped my hand away with one of his tails, but he didn't notice my other hand reaching for his ear. My smile grew as he began to growl lowly as my fingers rubbed the soft velvety fur.

He shook himself and snapped at my fingers. " **Would you quit that?! I'm not some sort of pet that you can smother!** "

"I can't help it!" I grinned, picking him up. "You're just so cute!" He visibly withered. Was it something I said? A familiar smell wafted my nose and my stomach growled loudly. Turning, I quickly deposited him back on the desk and eagerly held my hands out in time to receive a bowl of Ichiraku Rawmen. "Thanks for the food, sensei!" I blinked in surprise as he handed me a plate piled high with fried tofu. "What am I going to do with this?"

" **Don't just stand there!** " Kurama pawed the air, drool dripping from his jaws. " **Bring it over already!** "

I smirked as an idea entered my mind. "Hey, Kurama," I picked a piece up and lifted it into the air. "If you want it so bad, why you come and get it!" I yelped as one of his tails lashed out and snatched the piece from my fingers. "Hey!"

" **I don't roll over for anyone, brat,** " Kurama smirked, eating the piece in one gulp. " **Give it up.** " He perked as a plate of red rice was placed before him. " **Yes!** " He growled in frustration as it was withdrawn before he could get even a grain. His narrowed eyes locked on the culprit: Kakashi. " **Explain yourself, human.** "

Kakashi smiled. "Maybe if you tell us a few details, we will give you some of this food."

" **Very well,** " Kurama settled into a comfortable position, his tails wrapping around his body. " **There are different kinds of foxes; red, orange, black, and white. Each color is associated with certain purposes or individuals. For instance, orange foxes are viewed as guardians and are luck charms in some countries. The red foxes are known for their trickery and lies, they are focused on themselves and only assist when they can benefit from it. Black foxes are feared, for they represent the Devil's spy; if one is sighted in a graveyard, it is suspected that it is seeking out the souls of the recent deceased. The white foxes are considered the messengers of the high deities.** " His paw swiped a few of the grains and quickly devoured them. " **Delicious.** "

"So there are different colored foxes," I shrugged, giving him a skeptical look. "What does that have to do with what you are doing now?"

" **Once every so many generations, the first of the white foxes chooses a host and then searches among man and beast for a suitable mate.** " Kuama continued, his eyes rising to fall on the moon once more. " **She usually takes the form of a young maiden, but she has been known to appear as a normal fox. Her search took her all over the world; across vast oceans, deep into the chasms of the Earth, and deep into the realms of man. Man pursued her merely for her beauty and were oblivious to her significance; beasts, on the other hand, pursued her in hopes of gaining power over all other beasts.** " He chuckled. " **Unfortunately for many, she had the ability to see into their hearts the second she laid eyes upon them.** "

"If she is supposed to be the first of the white foxes," Tsunade intervened, pouring herself a drink. "Then how did she alone give birth to all other white foxes?"

" **Her original mate was a man by the name of Ku,** " he continued. " **He was said to be a humble man and was one who kept her guessing with his unpredictability. In other words, he kept her on her toes and filled the days of their time together with smiles and laughter. Unfortunately, he was killed by a rouge ninja who was unaligned to any of the nations or clans. When the ninja turned to finish her off, three foxes appeared and protected her from his attacks, and worked together to end his life. Before Ku passed away in her arms, he told her that he knew that she was the white fox and had prayed to become a fox in his next life to they could truly be together. She vowed from that day that she would search for him among the beasts and man for her beloved.** "

"So let me get this straight," I bent down so I was able to stare him in the eye. "You wanted to sneak out of the village to try your luck at getting a girl. Who knew you were lonely."

" **Look whose talking. You're the one who couldn't even give his first kiss to the girl you liked. No, you had to make a complete fool of yourself and give that kiss to Sasuke.** "

I hung my head. "Please don't bring that up... that still haunts me..."

"Anyway, back to the issue at hand," granny Tsunade pipped up. "What are you planning to do, Kurama? What do you hope to accomplish?"

" **Who better to assist her than myself, a nine tailed orange fox?** " he stated, licking his paws clean of the red rice that he had been swiping. " **I have no ulterior motive, so you needn't worry your little heads about me rampaging in the village.** " His eyes narrowed as Granny held out her hand. She said that she had conditions, but if he shook her hand then she would allow him to carryout his plans. " **What are these conditions?** "

"This is my only offer and there will be no negotiations, is that understood?" He nodded. "You may do as you please, but you are forbidden from returning to your full size unless Naruto wills it or its an emergency situation. In other words," she smirked. "You are confined to that size; if you not it this form, you are to be inside of Naruto. If I even catch wind of you being bigger than this," she gestured to him. "You and I are going to have a little chat."

" **Puny human, what could you-** " His words cut off into whimpers as she grabbed one of his tails, pinching its end between her fingers.

"You are in a solid state now," she released it and crossed her arms. "and your chakra is very limited. You are just like every other fox cub." His ears drooped, making him look even more cute. "My final condition is that Naruto and Kakashi are to be your companions from start to finish."

Wait... "WHAT?" I blinked in surprise as Kakashi and I looked to one another. "But I have so many other things to do, like the reports and we can't forget the change in guard duties, and-" His words halted as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You deserve some time off, why not try to make this a vacation?" Her smile caused Shizune and I to shiver. "How hard could it be to babysit-I mean escort a fox cub?"

* * *

 **Hinata POV**

"So you want my help in looking for this person?" I asked, running my hand over her fur. "He was very special to you back then, wasn't he?" She nodded. "Of course I will help you, but I would need to ask father for permission, not to mention the Hokage-" My words cut off as she turned back into an orb and entered my chest, blinding me with a white light.

* * *

Well? what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Chapter 3! I will be editing the chapters later on (such as combining Chapters 1 and 2 to make one long chapter) but that's not until further down the line. Without further ado, please enjoy! I don't own rights to Naruto!

* * *

 **A Fox Tale**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Kurama POV**

" **You have to be joking...** " I narrowed my eyes on the old hag. " **You would dare order me-THE NINETAILS- to remain in this hideous form and be at the complete mercy of this** " I pointed at Naruto with one of my tails, " **fool and an albino human?!** " I saw the kit glance over at his sensei, probably waiting for him to respond to my jab but he was too busy with the contents of his now empty wallet. " **Do you take me for a fool?!** "

"Need I remind you that your chakra is still very much depleted and that the seal on Naruto is still closed?" Hag nearly shoved a finger in my face. "And while you are in this form, Naruto is going to suffer from chakra depletion until you return to him and the same goes for you. It's only fair that you repay him by staying close to him in case of an emergency. Further more, this will give you and Naruto a chance to converse and train as separate beings."

" **I'm not some mutt that you teach tricks to!** " I bared my teeth, ready to snap off her finger. " **I am much older than anyone here, so that portion does not interest me, not in the slightest! There is nothing to your conditions that interest me so I am declining, and since you yourself said that there were no negotiating those terms, I assume that there is nothing more that we need to discuss.** " I turned away, my eyes rising to the moon.

* * *

 **Naruto POV**

I shivered as Granny Tsunade became shrouded by a dark cloud at Kurama's words. Did he have a death wish?! A lump formed in my throat as she locked a pair of dark colored eyes on me. "D-don't look at me! I have no control over what he..." my words faded as she marched up and hovered over me. "What do you expect me to do?!" She grabbed the front of my shoulders and whispered into my ear that I needed to come up with something fast or else I was going to be banned from eating at Ichiraku Ramen ever again. "That's not even fair-" I flinched as she slapped a hand over my mouth, muttering that I had better think fast if I ever wanted a taste of their food. An idea popped up in my head, but it was very risky. I pulled away and knelt next Kurama. "So... she's really that special?"

No answer.

"What do you think she's like?" Again, no answer. I peeked out of the corner of my eye to see him staring up at the moon with an expression that I didn't think was possible...let alone put a name to. Picking him up, I stood and studied his eyes and chakra; there were no signs of ill intent.

"What if we agreed to limit our actions?" Kakashi-sensei pipped up. "We give you our word that we won't interfere with your actions and that we will respectfully remain indifferent." Kurama didn't so much as twitch at sensei's words.

Granny stepped up and whispered something to Kakashi, earning a strange look, then stepped up to Kurama, stating that she had one other offer. I nearly dropped Kurama as he squirmed away from her as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He froze for a few seconds, then began to bark loudly. Was he...laughing?! " **I agree to your conditions.** " He turned to me, a smirk on his face. " **Well, kit, it appears that you are going to be at my disposal for the time being. Better get used to it quick, I won't be an easy master.** "

My eyebrow twitched. "You? What makes you think that?"

Granny took her seat behind the desk and folded her hands. "Naruto, the agreement is that you will assist Kurama during his course of actions; this way, you will be able to keep an eye on him as well as keeping an eye on the chakra depletion effects." She formed some strange hand signs and gestured to the two of us. I grimaced as a band of strange symbols appeared around my right wrist that were similar to Kurama's coloring. "This jutsu is to help you two stay together. If you happen to wander to far away from each other, the jutsu will activate and you will be forced to regroup; no matter what is between the two of you."

"You can't be serious!" I dropped Kurama and slapped both hands down on her desk. "This whole plan stinks, and why am I the only one who has to go along with this?" Kakashi's hand came down on my shoulder as he explained that he would be watching us from afar. "That's even worse! You're not going to lift a finger to help me handle Kurama because you will be too busy reading your Make-Out Tactics!"

"No he won't," Granny jumped in, her eyes locked with Kakashi's. "Shizune has already confiscated all the copies he owns. Yes, even the one in your back pouch."

Kakashi looked as if the world had ended. He reached back, feeling his pocket, and his demeanor fell even more as he found her words to be true. Shizune held up a scroll that had a black cord wrapped around it. "Don't tell me..."

"You won't be able to break this sealing jutsu without the help of myself or Shizune." Granny smiled. "That way you won't have any distractions. Oh, and I doubt that you will be able to afford buying any copies of the books. You will need all the money you can get for traveling and food expenses, since Naruto hasn't been on a mission in a while. And if I hear that you went cheapo," she held up the scroll. "You can bye-bye to your precious books." I sweat dropped as he whimpered. "Then we have an understanding?" He nodded, hanging his head. "Good."

I yelped as pain shot up my leg, looking down to see Kurama digging his teeth into my calf. "What the hell?! Let go!"

" **Enough standing around,** " he barked, pulling me towards the door. " **We are wasting time, and I feel _him_ approaching.**"

"Him?" We chorused.

* * *

 **Unknown POV**

I growled in frustration as consciousness pulled me from the blissful darkness. Feeling crept throughout my body, informing me of my new form. I had longer limbs then my previous form, and I even had hands. Loud cracking filled the air as I began to move, telling me that I was in a tomb or grave of some sort. What was this body's physical limit, I wondered. "Only one way to find out," I smirked at the low voice that surrounded myself. Flexing and forming hand signs, I built up as much chakra as this body held and released it all at once. The darkness instantly vanished, replaced by blinding and ravaging flames. I felt the ground cave beneath my feet, forming a crater more than six miles in diameter. "Very nice." I raised my head to look at the moon. "So, you have returned to this world, haven't you?"

* * *

Well? What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments!


End file.
